Brand new 29g tank. Hello everyone

[ssmariner9]

Hello everyone! I've enjoyed reading your board over the last couple weeks preparing to set-up my own first-time tank! I am in the beginning of cycling my 29 g tank with live sand. I bought a shrimp and threw him in the tank today to jump-start the process. I am getting ready to purchase 20-25 lbs of fiji live rock from this site in the next several days. My lfs sold me a hang on tank filter that has supossed bio, chemical and mechanical elements. Are these filters any good? During the cycling process I haven't been using the carbon filter. Also, roughly, how much of the tank will the 20 lbs of rock fill? Should i get some base rock to fill space? I plan on eventually putting in a variety of inverts as a clean-up crew and hosting a couple fish, such as clowns and maybe even a tang. I wanted a moorish idol, but heard they are extremely hard to keep. I also heard there is another fish that looks very similar - is it a good idea?
Anyway, there is a bunch of info here but I mainly just wanted to say hello to everyone and thank you for all the help already!

 

[viper_930]

Welcome to the board! :cheer:
Was it a live shrimp you put in? The hang on filter is ok, but for saltwater tanks, a protien skimmer is more recommended. IMHO, that kind of filter you have is for freshwater.
Not sure how much of the tank will be filled by the LR, but here is a pic of my 36 gallon with about 20-21 lbs. of fiji LR to give you an idea. My tank is 30" long and 21" tall. Base rock would be nice, but if you get more LR it will help with the biological fitration.
No tangs in a 29 gallon. No tangs in anything less than 75 gallons. A moorish idol can't fit into a 29 gallon either. They need like 125+ gallons. The look-alike fish is the henoichus (sp), but you can't fit that in a 29 gallon either. Really can't fit much fush into a tank that size. Just a pair of percula or ocellaris clowns and one other small fish, and that is it. Do not get 3+ clowns though. Two of them would pair off and may kill the other.
Also, are you planning on building a reef tank, and getting an anemone for the clowns? They need a special kind of lighting.